Gas producer



Sept 26, 1933- J. VAN AcKERl-:N 1,928,608

GAS PRODUCER Filed Sept. ll, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l A 1N VEA/TOR.

uwe/v vanmf/ere/L ATT RNE Sept. 26, 1933. J. VAN ACKEREN GAS PRODUCER A Filed sept. 11K, 195o 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Josep/7 m//AdQ//z.

Sept. 26, 1933. J. VAN CKEREN 1,928,608

`GAS PRODUCER FiledSept. 11. 1930- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ihls N l a IN VENT 0R.

. BY A ATTIVE '15 usual ashl pan, its depth would be excessive.

Patented Sept. 26, 1933 GAS PRODUCER of Delaware, a. corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1930 Serial No. 481,131

Claims.v

n My invention relates togas producers and particularly tor constructional features thereof.

Gas producers as constructed heretofore have usually comprised a stationary portion and'cer-4 5 tain movable parts having'a driving connection to a power device. `In `the case of high-pressure gas producers, it has been necessary for the stationary portion of the producer to enclose the moving parts in order Lto provide an effective seal v against 'the pressure of the air and steam supplied to the fuelfbedf this construction, the ash f has been allowed. `to accumulate and has been removed periodically. n ,I

If a suitable liquid seal werel provided yby the The removal f ash would be diicult and, in addition,- the accumulation of large quantities of ash would render it diicult to maintain a uniform flow o air and steam through the fuel bed.

In .the case of gas producers with a stationary enclosing casing, the drivingconnections to thev moving parts havebeen within the stationary structure and, therefore, relatively inaccessible. This arrangement has made inspection and repair somewhat difcult. n

In accordance with the present invention, l. provide a liquid seal between the stationary and the movable parts that is entirely independent of the ash pan. This seal may, accordingly, be of sufficient depth to maintain an effective seal against the air and steam pressure that is applied to the fuel bed. `The deep liquid seal does not affect the ash removal.

This arrangement permits the driving connections to be disposed on an exterior portion of the movable parts and, therefore, conveniently accessible. The ash pany may be relatively shallow or substantially al flat plate and have a diameter that is substantially that of the stationary portion of the gas producer.

In the` accompanying drawings,

Figure' 1 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section of a gas producer constructed in accordance with my invention; v

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification;

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal transverse section taken on line III-'III of Fig. 2; and

, u Fig. 4 is a view taken at a slight angle to the 50, horizontal on line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a gas producer 1 comprises a stationary shell 2 that is provided with the usual water-jacket 3, a hopper 4 for supplying fuel, a fuel-distributing mechanism 5, a rotatable grate 6 and an ash pan '7.

The shell 2 may be supported upon any suitable or usual structural framework. A portion of such framework is shown in Fig. 2. vAsh that collects in the ash pan 7 is removed therefrom by a plough-Sinto a hopper 9. The; hopper 4 is pro- 60 vided with a conical valve 10 that is adapted to be operated periodically by means of any suitable mechanism.

The distributing mechanism` 5 for. the fuel comprises three branch pipes 11,112, and.13, which rotate at radii of differentl'engths within the shell to distribute the fuel supplied by the hopper 4. The distributing mechanism is driven by means of a .gear mechanism 14 that may be connected tojany suitable power device (not shown).

' The grate 6 is conical in shape and is eccentric withrespect to the center of the producer shell 2. Thegrate 6 is secured to a circular bottom plate 15 of the producer. The latter is provided, at its outeredge, with a U-shaped flange 16.

The U-shaped flange 16 is provided on its inner circumference with an annular ring 17 having a ball-bearing support on an upright annular vbeam 18 whereby the bottom plate 15 and its associated parts, including the grate 6, are mounted for rotation. The outer circumference of the U-shaped flange 16 is provided with a ring gear 19, by means of which the rotatable parts of the producer are driven through a worm 20.

The bottom plate 15 carries the relatively shallow ash pan 7. The shell 2 is 'provided 'with a downwardly extending flange 22 that projects into the U-shaped flange 16 to constitute a liquid seal when the flange 16 is lled with water or other suitable liquid. y

I Steam and air are supplied to the grate 6, which is suitably perforated for .admission of the air and steam to the fuel bed that is supported by the grate. The air and steam are supplied through a pipe 23 that is coaxial with the producer and is connected to the grate6 by means of a pipe 24 having a slip-joint connection to the pipe 23.

In the operation of the producer, fuel is supplied to the hopper 4 periodically and by it continuously to the distributing mechanism 5 in order to maintain the fuel bed vat a substantially constant height. It will be apparent that fuel is added at the top of the fuel bed at the same rate that the fuel bed falls by reason of is gasification and the removal of ash at the base of the fuel bed.

The eccentric grate. 6 agitates the base of the fuel bed and facilitates the movement of the ash into the relatively shallow pan 7, which is, as shown, partially filled with water. As the pan 7 revolves with the grate 6 and its connected parts,

the plough 8 operates to remove the ash into the hopper 9 through a gate valve 25. When a suiiicient quantity of ash has accumulated in the hoppery 9, the gate valve 25 is closed and a conical valve 26 in the bottom thereof is opened to discharge the ash into any suitable receptacle.

During the operation of the producer,all of the moving parts are supported upon the bearing structure comprising the annular ring 17 and the upright beam 18. The `flanges 16 and 22 constitute a liquid seal between the stationary and the moving parts of the producer that will permit any desired pressure of air and steam Within the limits of the depth of the liquid.

It will be noted that the driving mechanism is connected to the rotatable portions of the producer upon the exterior thereof and that it is readily accessible for inspection and repair. The ash pan is relatively shallow and is substantially confined to the circumference of the shell. ofthe producer. 1

Reference may now be had to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, in which similar` reference numerals have been employed to designate parts similar to thoseof the structure of Fig. `1. The essential diierence between the modification and the structure previously described is in the construction and arrangement of the grate and the ash-removing mechanism.

The grate 31, which is eccentric with respect to the shell 2, is divided into two sections 32 and 33 by means of an intermediate annular orifice 34 for receiving ash from the fuel bed. The orifice 34 is connected by means of a passageway 35 to an ash pan 36. The grate is provided with the usual orifice 37 adjacent the interior of the shell 2, andlwhich is connected directly to an ash pan 38'.v

The ash pans 36 and 38 are respectively provided with ash ploughs 39 and 40 which operate upon the rotation. of the ash pans and associated mechanism to remove the ash into a sump 41.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the outer section 33 of the grateis provided with air and steam by means of four ducts 42 that pass through the passageway 35 and are connected at their inner ends to an external pipe 43 for supplying air and steam. The inner section 32 of the grate is supplied through an internal pipe 44.

The modified construction of the grate has the advantage that ash may be removed from the fuel bed without causing it to travel from the center of the fuel bed to the outer periphery of the producer. .By means of this arrangement, more nearly uniform conditions may be obtained at the base of the fuel bed. The amount of ash that is required to be handled by each of the pans 36 and 38 is reduced and the removal of ash is accordingly facilitated.

Inasmuch as both forms of my invention employ substantially identical means for rotatably supporting and for driving the movable porapparent to those skilled in the art of manufacturing and operating gas producers.

I claim as my invention:

1. Agas producerl comprising a stationary shell, a rotatable grate having two concentric sections respectively surrounded by an orifice for the removal of ash therethrough, ash pans for receiving ash from the-respective orifices, and means -for receiving ash from said ash pans.

2. A gas producer comprising a stationary shell, a rotatable grate having two concentric sections respectively surrounded by an orifice for the removal of ash therethrough, superposed ash pans for receiving ash from the respective orifices and a common receptacle for receiving ash from said ash pans.

3. A gas producer comprising a stationary shell, a rotatable grate Vhaving two concentric sections respectively surrounded by an orice for the removal of ash therethrough, means for conducting ash from the inner orice, and means extending through said conducting means for conducting gaseous media to the outer section of said grate.

4. A gas producer comprising a stationary shell, a rotatable grate, an ash pan for containing vliquid surrounding said grate and rotatable therewith, means for removing ash from said pan, a U-shape iiange depending from said ash pan and a cooperating ange on said shell for constituting a. liquid seal therebetween, said seal being separate from the liquid in said ash pan, and means connected directly to the outer portion of said U- shape ange for rotating said grate andv said ash pan and means connected directly to the inner portion of said U-shape Iiange for supporting said grate and said ash pan.

5. A gas producer comprising a stationary shell, a rotatable grate therefor, a shallow ash pan surrounding said grate and adapted to contain liquid, said ash pan being rotatable with said grate, meansl for removing ash from said pan, a deep annular U-shape iiange depending from said ash pan, a co-operating ange on said shell for providing a high-pressure liquid seal between said shell and said ash pan that is separate from the liquid in said ash pan, supporting means for said grate and said ash pan connected to the inner periphery of said U-shape flange and driving means for said grate connected to the outer periphery of said U-shape flange.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN. 

